Walking the Line
by Totallyquirky
Summary: Colby talks about his five weeks in prison to Don. With progression of their budding romance. WARNING: This is Slash. Colby/Don.
1. Walking the Line

**Title: **Walking the Line.  
**Author/Artist: **E4Blonde  
**Pairing(s): **Unrequited!Don/Colby, Mentions of Unrequited!Colby/Charlie. Apologies too as there are slight mentions of Amita/Charlie.  
**Rating: **Rated M (for language and mentions of sex/rape)  
**Word Count:** ~2800

**Beta:**  
**Summary: **Don's feeling surface for Colby as he learns about the agents time in prison.  
**Notes/Warnings: **

I've had this rolling around in my head now after the Season 4 premier and the episode "Power". Whilst I don't mind if the show never references it, it was something I wanted to explore myself. I have no idea what sort of unit Colby would have been held in, I've done a little research and tried to guess from the show. Carter mentions being in Solitary, but Colby was sent to prison as part of his mission to gain more intel on Carter, which leads me to believe Carter got himself put into solitary and that Colby himself wasn't.

I did wonder whether Colby and Carter were held at a military prison, but that (I'm told, I could very well be wrong) is only used for military personnel who commit a crime whilst serving. Both Carter and Colby are ex-military so I have assumed they would have been sent to a regular maximum security penitentiary.

This is my take on Colby's five weeks in Jail. Please any feedback is welcome. This is also my first time writing Colby/Don.

**Walking the Line**

Don watched Colby lead Cleary away and toward the waiting cars before focusing his attention to Megan, making sure she was okay. He only left her side when she'd gotten pissed at him, threatening him with a sexism suit and told him to "go and harass Granger".

That throbbing vein in the middle of his forehead was back. The reason he was smothering Megan was so he didn't grab Colby and ask him what the _hell_ "someone's cell block bitch" meant, exactly.

It had never occurred to Don that Colby may have suffered from his short time in gaol. It left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

Don had liked Colby the moment he'd been transferred into Don's team, young, enthusiastic and tough. He had also accepted the "math thing" without batting an eyelid.

Maybe Don had liked him a little too much. Although it hadn't taken long to work out what team Colby batted for. Acted like Megan's younger brother, stared at Charlie more than Amita. Yeah, army boy was most definitely a fan of the male form.

Don smiled to himself, remembering the way he'd caught Granger staring at his little brother one day from the door way of the war room. Charlie was as ever, completely oblivious. He'd smiled at Colby trying to cover himself with a "your brother is starting to scare me a little," but Don couldn't help the jealous dig at Charlie's expense. "Just a little?"

Don, though, was just glad that Charlie was very much straight, and too besotted by Amita and math to notice the fresh faced farm boy carrying around a crush the size of Texas.

Don, unfortunately, wasn't. Well, he would just wait until Colby realised that he preferred brawn to brains.

Don had watched as Charlie and Colby grew closer. He chuckled to himself as he remembered his little brother standing up for Colby against Megan's gentle ribbing during the Brutus case. Colby's crush, he was sure, was over by then, but he was still jealous of the closeness that the two men shared, the easy way they worked, the trouble-free smiles that they traded, the respect they both had for one another, polar opposites who fit together perfectly.

Don wanted to bash his head against a brick wall. Why did Charlie get everything?

~~*~~

"Hey, Colb."

Green eyes crinkled as Colby smiled up at him, making the butterflies in Don's stomach flutter a little. Yeah, he needed to stop being such a girl.

"Hey."

There was a very pregnant pause that Don realised was in danger of becoming utterly awkward if he didn't fill it soon.

"Cleary any problem?"

"Nah, still doesn't see that he is an asshole of the highest order yet, but he will."

Don nodded. Great, there was that urge to walk into Cal's State Pen and put a few bullets into a few brainless thugs. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth instead, at least it would stop his dentist lecturing him about his teeth grinding.

"Hey, I'm just glad we don't have to deal with that Ivy woman anymore."

Colby all-out smiled and Don tried to smack down his inner 16-year-old girl as she squeed in unabashed delight at the image. "What, you didn't want to see Megan lay the smack down on her?"

Don shook his head, "What is it with you and Megan beating on people?"

"Hey, I can appreciate a woman who can kick some serious ass. I went along to one of her Krav Maga classes at the Y once. Damn."

Don resisted the urge to rub the pink tinge on Colby's cheeks away.

"You fight just fine, Idaho, what d'ya need all that for?"

"I dunno, guess I'm just always looking to improve is all," Colby's eyes went to his keyboard then he smiled shyly back up at Don.

Don smiled back. God, he was giving _himself_ cavities.

~~*~~

Don knew he had to handle this carefully. He was pretty sure that Colby hadn't told anyone about his sexuality.

Don also knew that Megan had set Colby up with an acquaintance of hers. Poor guy had looked so embarrassed when he'd turned to see that Megan had more or less won the bet, unless he was willing to out himself there and then.

Don only knew because, well, if the Charlie crush hadn't been enough of a giveaway, it was confirmed by Edgerton, who had some knowledge of Colby in the line of fire.

Apparently, one the higher-ups had had quite the thing for the young soldier and had abused his power. Whilst Colby had escaped relatively unscathed, it was still an open secret among some that had served with his agent.

Don knew this was one mission that was going to need a lot of planning.

~~*~~

Colby was in the break room when Don walked in. They seemed to be the last in the office, the place was barely lit and only the faint hum of computers could be heard.

"What's up, Colb?"

"Nothing, just tired." He held up the paper cup as if to prove to Don his body wascraving caffeine at this time of night.

"Yeah, it's been a tough, long day." Don studied Colby for a few seconds before taking the seat next to him.

"What?"

Don feigned innocence. "What?"

"You look like you're gearing up to ask me something or tell me something. It's kinda creepy."

"Thanks."

Colby graced him with a smile. "So which is it?"

"I guess it's the first." Don took a breath. "How areyou settling back in?"

Colby regarded him for a moment, then swirled his coffee around his cup. "OK,I guess. I'm glad David and I are back to normal. And now I'm not undercover I feel like I can be myself more."

"Yeah, we've noticed." Don smiled, letting Colby know this wasn't an interrogation.

"I'm part of the family now, for real. I guess I feel a little over whelmed by that." Colby blushed again.

Don had the overwhelming urge to kiss the younger agent, but succeeded in resisting the impulse.

"Yeah, well, as part of the family I gotta insist that you stop throwing yourself off buildings and stuff. You scare the hell outta everyone sometimes."

Colby laughed unabashedly, the effect de-aging him about ten years. "My Momma said I was like a bull in a china shop. Always barrelling about."

"Well, don't do it so often."

"Your concern is noted and appreciated, but seriously, death doesn't really bother me, it's fading away that does."

Don stared at Colby, regarding the clouded look in his eyes. The need to erase it was almost as overpowering as the urge to gather Colby to him. Again, with strength he was surprised he had, he resisted both.

"There was something else."

"Yeah?"

"How was Cal's State Pen? You know, what was prison like?"

"In general or for me specifically?"

"Both, I guess."

"Well, it smells fucking foul, ass, piss and sweat. It burns into your nostrils till you can taste it in your throat. You're never alone but it is so fucking lonely." Colby drained the last of his coffee and Don got up to pour him some more.

"And for you specifically?" Don's palms were clammy, his heart was pounding. He didn't like to think of Colby in that situation, didn't understand why he needed to hear about it.

"Me specifically? Wasn't awful, could have been better. I kept my head down and my opinions to myself. I was there as part of my mission anyway, but then Dwayne got put in solitary for fighting. Was on my own at that point."

"You get into any fights?"

Colby let out an amused huff. "One or two. Over nothing. Just a lot testosterone bouncing about with nowhere to go."

"What were they over?"

"Like I said, a lot of nothing, I won them if that counts."

"What, and no solitary?"

"Naw, that's only for the weapon stuff. You attack using an implement. I just threw a coupla punches and stuff. Plus I got a coupla military tats, special forces stuff. Warning signs, I guess."

"Seems a bit like high school, but with a bunch of hard cases."

Colby laughed. "Nothing like my high school. But yeah, cliquey and so on. It's all gangs and cell blocks. Plus being a traitor meant I was in with the real scum."

Don shivered. He could feel the bile rising and bubbling in his throat. "Sorry."

"You did your job, plus I let myself get caught, I knew what was going to happen, Don. You don't have to apologise."

"Yeah, I know. But. I. You know..." Don knew he was never going to be able to really apologise until he could tell Colby how he felt.

"Eloquent." Colby winked.

"Yeah, yeah." Don settled again, both men sitting at the table looking out over the empty office. "Did you make any friends in there?"

"Yeah, we still write to each other and everything."

"You're funny, Granger. You know what I mean, you end up getting close to people?"

"Well yes and no. You don't want to be on your own in there, and like I said I was in with the real scum, so I had to make sure that I was seen to align to the right gang. The only ones who weren't in my block were the paedophiles. Too dangerous."

Don raised his eyebrows.

"You know, if any young offenders get transferred from juvie."

"Ah. I guess that kinda thing is kind of common in there." Don blushed and gestured with his hands.

Colby had a knowing look on his face, but he still asked. "What sort of thing?"

"You know, rape."

"You've been watching too much Oz, Don."

"I know statistically that 13% of inmates are raped, but it must happen more, just goes unreported..." Don petered off.

"Honestly? While I was inside, I don't think anyone got raped in my block."

Don released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "No one?"

"Nope. Plenty of sex, but I wouldn't say rape." Colby seemed to consider this. "Actually, maybe it is rape, it's just an accepted form of survival."

Don didn't dare interrupt.

"I mean, it's rape if you don't really want to do it right? But is it rape if you don't want to but if you do it cause you know that realistically the only way to get out alive is to become some asshole's bitch?"

Don felt like he was in some fucked-up after school special.

Colby's eyebrows were knitted together in thought. "I guess it's just survival at the end of the day."

Don didn't want to ask, but he knew he wouldn't rest until he knew for sure.

"And did you have to _survive_ in there?"

Colby looked at Don. His eyes were no longer clouded over, but there was something there, something that Don couldn't quite reach just yet.

"It was an option for me. If Kirkland hadn't come along with the breakout plan when he had, it may have been the only one left open."

Don was left winded at the frankness of Colby's statement. He kept his face neutral, not wanting Colby to bolt if he registered any shock.

"Really? You can handle yourself, though." Don didn't want to believe that Colby would have considered handing himself over like that.

"Don, these guys are the lowest of the low, they knew I'd been a Fed. As far as they were concerned, I was fair game. What was I supposed to do, beat them all to death? I had to keep a low profile in there, pick up any intelligence regarding Carter. Handing people their asses wouldn't have gone down too well, plus it would have landed me in solitary." Colby began shredding a napkin.

"I couldn't have survived totally on my own." Colby looked down. Ashamed. Embarrassed.

"Hey, you would have got through it, you're a strong guy, Colb, seriously." Don rubbed his hand in soothing circles over Colby's back, in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

Colby looked at him, those green eyes wide in what Don could only describe as yearning. "Really?"

Don knows he was screwed six ways till Sunday, but he needed to make this okay for Colby, needed to offer comfort and safety even though he knew it would screw him over. He couldn't let Colby believe that he would have let himself be used. Even just to survive. "Yeah, really."

The silence stretched out for a while before Colby half-smiled at Don, looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry for all that."

"I asked, remember."

"I know, but the truth is some of it I haven't dealt with just yet, I'm still processing it."

Don nodded like he understood, guessing that this was what Colby needed,to just talk it out, come to his own conclusions.

"Not leading a double life has made me feel a little vulnerable. It's just me now. I'm kind of left wondering if I'm worth it."

Don wanted to shout from the rooftop that Colby Granger was most definitely worth it,but with that Herculean strength he'd been showing all night, he resisted.

"Look, Colby I can't tell you when you are gonna come to terms with the last couple of years, but just remember you are family, especially now, and we look after our own. So I know you're getting professional help, and take it from me it helps, but you ever want to talk, or you just need to be with someone you don't have to explain all this shit to you know where I am."

Colby's smile lit up his tired face. "Thanks, Don." He yawned and stretched and it was only then that Don realised that his hand was still on Colby's back. He snatched it back, hoping the younger agent was too tired to notice.

"Come on, let's pretend we have lives go."

Colby laughed. "Works for me."

~~*~~

The next case had taken its toll on the team and Charlie had invited everyone over for dinner, waffles to be more precise. Don was left cursing that Colby, being the good farm boy that he was, had goneto wash his hands before dinner and as such had meant that David had taken the available chair next to him. Okay, so it wasn't David's fault, but it still meant that Don wanted to stab his fork into the agent's hand.

With the waffles finished and coffee was poured Colby was busy talking math with Charlie, Larry and Amita at his end of the table. Amita and Charlie were teasing Colby about his grasp of math getting much better since he was no longer undercover.

David butted in. "Maybe he is a genius?"

Colby blushed. "Naw, it's just that I've been reading up on some of the more common theories Charlie uses, like Game Theory and stuff."

Don couldn't take his eyes off the younger agent. He didn't know whether to shove David out of the way or kiss the guy for being the only thing between Colby and him making a complete fool out of himself.

Megan laughed. "Any of it sinking into that thick skull of yours, Granger?"

If it hadn't been for that soft, fond look that coloured her features Don would have been ready to show her where she could stick her Krav Maga with comments like that.

Realistically, Don knew it was just harmless teasing but still his irrational inner teeny-bopper got protective of Colby.

Unaware of Don's inner monologue, the conversation had carried on.

"Yeah, some of it." Colby grinned at Charlie. "It's more difficult without the Charlie-vision though."

The table laughed and the tension Don seemed to have been holding eased a little. Alan spoke smiling at Don. "Yeah, Colby here is really beginning to think like a mathematician."

"Wow!" Everyone turned to look at David. "You've actually moved up to thinking?" His voice washeavy on the sarcasm as he threw a loose arm around Colby's shoulders and gave his partner a one-armed hug.

"What is this, pick on Granger day?" Colby whined, although the easy smile on his face told everyone that he'd take the teasing over rather than the tension that had rocked the team any day.

~~*~~

They eventually moved to the living area, Don making sure he sat next to Colby, who had seated himself on the floor and was busy hooking up "Hot Shots Golf" on Charlie's PS3 console.

Don spent two hours with Colby next to him, the heat from the younger agent's body seeping through to his.

Colby never moved away once.

**THE END**


	2. Not Toeing the Line Part A

**Not Towing the Line**

Colby groaned, squeezing his eyes tight so as not to let the sunlight streaming through the blinds fry his eyeballs.

"I'm an idiot."

He groaned again, hoping that his embarrassing behaviour from the night before was just some god awful nightmare. It had started off so well too.

He'd had dinner with the team, well waffles, which if you asked Colby ticked at least 3 of the major food groups, he'd laughed and joked, only had a couple of beers but then he'd got too comfortable sat, on the floor, pressed close to Don.

He smiled to himself, so maybe that part was the ok part, but then he had to go and start acting like one of Don's legion of office fangirls in heat.

Putting on the only racing game the Eppes brother's seemed to own he had spent his time taking sharp corners as an excuse to lean on the older man, the older straight man, the older straight man who happened to be his boss.

"Idiot." Colby rolled over onto his stomach and head butted the mattress a few times.

The sound of a tinny version of Dolly's "9 to 5" rang out in his bedroom, signalling a call from the office. The call to drag him out into the Californian sunshine and possibly face the humiliation of last night.

Oh what deep eternal joy.

God he hoped he had some coffee left, and sweet Jesus he hoped Megan had been too wrapped up in Larry last night to notice his not so subtle flirting.

Man, he was an idiot.


	3. Not Toeing the Line Part B

**Not Towing the Line (part b)**

Colby climbed out of his car, the L.A sunshine was pissing him off. It was mocking him, yes mocking him. He made it into the lobby, and the elevator, analysing the smile on Bobby, the security guard's face as he'd past, just a smile, or could it have been a smirk?

Exiting the elevator he walked quickly to his desk, head down.

Any minute now someone was going to point at him and laugh, and then everyone else would turn and laugh too and then he'd look down and he'd be naked, fucking naked and the worst part would be, Don ridiculing him whilst everyone laughed hysterically.

"Hey Colb."

"AH!! Colby managed to jump a little over a foot into the air.

Get a grip Granger.

Don looked at him with concern. "You ok?"

"Me? Yeah. Course, why wouldn't I be?" Oh that was smooth Granger, real smooth. Why not just run up to him and tell him you'd like to have his babies.

Don had gone from concerned to just plain perturbed. "'Cause you're jumpy and looking-" Don searched for the correct word. "-flushed?"

"Just had one of those mornings you know."

"You sure? There's nothing bothering you?"

Colby really didn't know how he was managing not become an oozing puddle of mush on the floor right about now. Ever since he'd had that talk with Don about prison he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the guy. Yeah, so he'd thought about Don inappropriately before that, sue him, he had a healthy sexual appetite, and let's face it you got to be blind not to notice that Don Eppes could pretty much create sexual tension with his desk but after being the centre of attention for all his concern and brief affection, Colby's crush had taken a dramatic turn.

Well he'd had a crush on Charlie, why not Don he guessed, it was only a matter of time before Alan was naked in his dreams. He shuddered, yeah that was just disturbing, brain, it needs coffee. Now.

Don was still stood there, that vein pulsing away in his forehead. Colby itched to rub it away. Oh Yeah, Don would be waiting for that answer.

"I'm fine Don really." Colby tried to make himself sound as sincere as possible "just haven't managed to get my daily dose of the wonder that is caffeine yet."

Don smiled that small smile of his, the one that Colby had been day dreaming about for weeks now, the one Colby wanted to get on cold (well L.A cold) winter nights when they were alone in _their_ apartment.

Okay, this is unhealthy Granger, really unhealthy and a little unbalanced, even for you, but, he had managed so far to keep it under wraps, Colby counted it as a win for now.


	4. Not Toeing the Line Part C

**Title: **Not Towing the Line (Part c).  
**Author/Artist: **E4Blonde  
**Pairing(s): **Unrequited!Colby/Don,  
**Rating: **PG13  
**Word Count:** ~600  
**Disclaimer:**I do not own Numb3rs nor it characters/actors. Just Borrowing.  
**Summary: **Colby gets a little distracted thinking about Don, but it's not all bad. Set during "Checkmate".**  
**

**Not Towing the Line Part (c)**

Colby made his escape to the break room after the traumatically embarrassing event of only moments before.

"_Only on Saturday nights?!"_ _What the hell was I thinking? Not only is that totally inappropriate for the office, it's like rule 55 of 'Seducing your crush 101' "do not mention your porn habits until you've at least exchanged bodily fluids" especially, when said heart's desire is sat only a mere two desks away_.

_This was totally David's fault. Asshole knew I preferred Chess to porn, just because he lacks the knowhow, he just couldn't handle the bad rep._

Colby was well aware that he was now wallowing in self pity and becoming a victim, but damn-it if he wasn't mortified.

_Great, now Don thinks I sit home at the weekends trying to go blind. _

Colby looked about the break room, his mind wandering back to the conversation between himself and Don only weeks ago. Something warm unfurled itself in Colby's stomach and sent an ache to his chest as he remembered Don's concern and support.

The smell of coffee and steam brought Colby from his musings and he reached blindly for the handle.

"ARGH!" Scalding hot water ran over his hand, between the pain and the muddle of his thoughts the young agent struggled to remember basic first aid, as he stood there turning the air blue.

He heard the break room door bang open and someone rushing towards him.

"What the hell Colby?"

_Don._

Shit, it was Don.

Colby found himself being pushed towards the sink and the cooling water of the faucet. Colby sighed in relief as his skin was cooled, the throbbing sensation felt a little tender, and the back of his hand was pillar box red, but at least now he wasn't swearing like a sailor.

Don then submerged his hand into the icy water that had filled the sink.

"Keep it in there Idaho."

Colby felt the heat of Don's body leave his back as Don pulled the plug on the Mount Vesuvius of coffee makers.

"I. It. I have. I can't." Colby tried to explain what had happened.

"Did you over fill it?" Don was looking at him with those earnest brown eyes of his.

_Oh sweet Jesus and his disciples. _

"Yes. I mean no. I mean." Colby was currently waving his hands around, trying to explain what exactly had happened. _What had happened?_

"Put that back in the water." Don's hand burned the skin of Colby's forearm, counteracting the real burn of moments before.

"I have no idea, it was boiling when I came in, I was just waiting for the coffee." Colby finished lamely.

"Didn't you see it, pouring over? The puddle on the floor?"

Colby could only shake his head. Some agent he was. Oy.

"Boy that must have been some daydream." Don smirked at him nudging Colby's shoulder with his own, Colby longed to lean back. "What the hell were you thinking about, huh?"

_You._

"Stuff."

"Well that's real specific Granger." Don's laughed a little; Colby couldn't take his eyes from Don's face. Don looked at him, his expression growing serious, "You sure you're ok? You need a few hours, or a day off? You need a chat again?"

"What?" Colby was horrified that Don thought he was losing it. Colby James Granger held it together at all costs. Screw the world. Colby straightened. "No, it wasn't about that. You know the thing we talked about, I was just thinking about the case is all."

Don regarded him for a moment, then released Colby's wrist from his grip. "If you're sure."

Colby nodded.

"Okay then, get yourself down to sick bay and get patched up, your pushing paper for the rest of the day, ok?"

"Yeah, no problem Don." Colby offered the older man a small smile of contrition.

Don squeezed Colby's waist once, quickly, so quickly that Colby couldn't tell if he'd imagined it but from the blush on Don's cheeks he was pretty sure he didn't.

Don turned away to walk out of the room and Colby allowed himself a small victory smile. Whoever over filled that damn machine was getting flowers, or a beer.

Part D


	5. Not Toeing the Line Part D

**Title: **Not Toeing the Line (Part d).  
**Author/Artist: **E4Blonde  
**Pairing(s): **Unrequited!Don/Colby  
**Rating: **PG13 (There is strong language towards the end though)  
**Word Count:** ~700  
**Disclaimer:**I do not own Numb3rs or it characters/actors. Just Borrowing.  
**Summary: **Don's POV of Part C. Set during "Checkmate".**  
Notes/Warnings: **This is a short (very short for me) light hearted look at the going's on in my fic Walking the Line from Colby's point of view. This will probably have several parts as I have lots of things I want Colby to think about (but I don't have much time so I will be writing them as short pieces as and when I can, rather than trying to post a bigger fic I apologise), but I realised that Colby feelings for Don hadn't been mentioned and I wanted to write something, anything...

Not Toeing the Line (part d)

"Hey guys" Don rests on the desk partitioning, a file in his hand. "I got a couple of leads that need following up. David, you and Colby okay to check them out?"

David looks up at his boss, his fingers still hovering over the key board, forehead still creased in concentration. "Yeah sure."

"Thanks David, appreciate it." Don turns back toward his desk, still with one ear open to listen to his team.

"Hey Buddy?" David leans back a little in his seat and turns to talk to his partner. "Colby?" David was sure Granger was behind him a minute ago. "Hey any of you see where Granger went?"

"Yeah, he said something about needing a coffee." Megan nodded over to the break room not looking up from her screen.

Don turned and looked up from the file he was scanning and across the banks of desk into the small glass room. Colby looked miles away, his muscled arms crossed against his well-built chest, his eyes gazing into the middle distance, looking almost wistful.

Don felt someone behind him, the smell of expensive scent, warmed by the skin wafted into his space as she lent closer to his ear.

"That's gotta be some day dream his having."

Don didn't have to see the smirk on Megan's face, he could hear the gently teasing tone to her voice.

"It's so good that he hasn't even realised that the coffee pot has boiled over."

David tutted as he wandered past the two senior agents. "When princess in there has stopped fantasising about his Saturday nights tell him I'm in the locker room waiting for his scrawny ass."

Don's mind really didn't need any help where Colby's ass was concerned but he did have to bite his tongue so as not to tell David he doubted anything on Colby was scrawny.

_That would have been a law suit waiting to happen. _

Don turned his attention back to the matter at hand as Megan gasped in disbelieve, Don focused more closely and realised that Colby had reached for the handle still not realising the boiling liquid over flowing from the faulty machine. He could hear the junior agent cursing up a storm as he ran full pelt to the break room, only stopping to think what he was doing as he submerged Colby's hand in the cool water filling the sink.

He had to drag himself away from the heat of Colby's back to unplug the health hazard, building facilities were getting a strongly worded letter to get an idiot proof coffee maker as some fool kept on over filling it.

He listened as Colby had flapped trying to explain what had happened, it was obvious that the younger man hadn't a clue what had happened or had a clue what had happened before that, it was only then that Don realised that maybe Colby hadn't be looking wistful, dreaming, fantasising, maybe Colby had just been thinking, contemplating, analysing, dealing from other things in his life.

_Not everyone is like you Eppes, some people have bigger things to worry about than porny daydreams about their subordinates. _

Don cringed as hurt and indignation flashed across Colby's features when Don asked him if he needed to talk or time off, both knowing what Don was referring too, he hadn't meant to imply that Colby wasn't coping, he would never think that, but it didn't stop Don worrying about him it didn't stop the little voice in his head and the ache in his heart wanting to make everything better.

Before he could stop himself he gave Colby a gentle squeeze, more for his own benefit that for Colby's, he isn't sure what made him do it, temporary insanity, the feel of Colby's body against his own, the smell of the agents cologne filling his senses, the fact that his Shakra's were in alignment? Who the fuck knew? , probably, but seeing the small smile play on Colby's features, who the fuck cared?

Don left, still blushing as he made a quick call to David to tell him that Colby's scrawny ass wouldn't be joining him in the locker room as Colby's scrawny ass would be doing desk duty, in the office, with Don, where it - he, he meant he - belonged.

Part E


End file.
